The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has unveiled its bold agenda ahead of the forthcoming 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiations with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC). Speaking at a public function on May 18, KNUT leadership announced that teachers will press for a 60 percent increase in basic pay alongside a 30 percent uplift in all allowances over the next four years
KNUT Secretary General Collins Oyuu stressed that after two rounds of non‑monetary gains under the current 2021–2025 CBA—such as extended maternity leave and newly introduced paternity leave—it is time to address teachers’ financial hardships. “Teachers have an irreducible minimum demand. They want money and not stories,” he declared, pointing to mounting living costs and heavy tax deductions that have eroded take‑home pay.
Deputy Secretary General Hebson Otieno explained that KNUT will formally present these demands to Parliament in the weeks ahead. He urged Members of Parliament to back the call for improved remuneration, arguing that adequate compensation is vital to boost morale and stem the exodus of educators from the public sector. “If we want a motivated teaching force, we must invest in their welfare,” Otieno said.
While the current CBA delivered important work‑life balance measures, Oyuu argued that talk of benefits rings hollow in an environment where inflation outpaces salary growth. He recalled that discussions with TSC officials in July 2024 had already flagged the need for a salary review, but little progress has been made on the financial front. As negotiations resume, KNUT intends to take a firm stand: the 60/30 split—60 percent basic pay, 30 percent allowances—will be their floor, not their ceiling.
The union’s proposal represents one of the most ambitious teacher‑led pay claims in recent years, reflecting broader pressures on Kenya’s public servants. According to KNUT, the average teacher’s disposable income has dwindled under successive tax hikes and rising living costs, jeopardizing educators’ ability to provide for their families.
KNUT’s leadership has affirmed its commitment to a collaborative approach with TSC but signaled readiness to mobilize its membership if satisfactory terms are not secured. “Our relationship with TSC is solid, but we will not trade our members’ future for empty assurances,” Oyuu warned. As the new CBA process gets under way, teachers across the country will be watching closely to see if their calls for a meaningful pay rise finally translate into action.
